Valves



C. C. BROWN Sept. 2, 1958 VALVES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 29, 1954 JNVENToR. v BY ,fo-Wma Sept. 2, 1958. c. c. BROWN l 2,850,102

VALVES Fiied oct. 29, 1954 s sheets-sheet 2 ATTORNEYJ C. C. BROWN sept. 2, 195s VALVES Filed oct. 29,) 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent VALVES Cicero C. Brown, Houston, Tex.

Application October 29, 1954, Serial No. 465,559

4 Claims. (Cl. 166-226) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in valves.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved valve for use in a well tubing or other tubular means, said valve being adapted for full opening whereby the bore of the well tubing or other tubular means is unobstructed when said valve is open.

An important object of this invention is to provide a new and improved valve assembly for use in a well pipe or the like, wherein the valve of the valve assembly is adapted to provide a full opening to leave the bore of the welll pipe unobstructed when the valve is opened upon a manipulation of the well pipe.

Another object of this invention isA to provide a new and improved valve which is adapted to be disposed in a pipe string for preventing fluid ilow in one direction in the pipe string, and being adapted for opening to the full diameter o-f the pipe forming the pipe string.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved valve which is capable of being opened upon a longitudinal movement of a tubular member into the valve.

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading ofthe following specification and by reference tothe accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and where- Figure l is a view, partlyin elevation and partly in section, illustrating the valve assembly of this invention in a tubing string.

Figure 2 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating in detail the valve assembly of this invention in its open position.

Figure 3 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating the valve assembly shown in Figure 2 in its closed position.

Figure 4 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating a modied construction of the valve assembly shown in Figures 1-3.

Figure 5 is an isometric view of the valve of this invention.

Figure 6 is an isometric view, partly in section, of the valve of this invention.

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Figure 5. l

In the drawings, the letter A designates generally the improved valve assembly of this invention. The valve assembly A is preferably mounted in a tubing string T or the like which extends from the surface of a well and which has thereon a hook-wall packer P or some equivalent packer connected therewith for sealing and gripping engagement with a well casing C. As explained in detail hereafter, the valve assembly A includes a valve which is capable of being opened to substantially the same diameter as the bore of the tubing in the string T upon a manipulation of the tubing string T from the sur-V face of the well whereby the bore of the tubing string T is unobstructed by the valve V so as to permit the unobstructed movement of well tools within the tubing string T.

The valve V (Figures 2, 3, 5 and 6) has an outer valve member 10 which is substantially conical and which is` formed of rubber or any suitable llexible or elastic material. The outer valve member 10 is provided with a plurality of slits extending from the lower pointed end 19a (Figures 3 and 5) to about the mid-portion of the valve member 10 whereby a plurality of iaps 10b are formed in'the lower end of the valve member l0. The flaps 10b are adapted to be separated from each other yto permit uid ow downwardly through the valve, but the sides 10c of the flaps 10b engage each other to form a huid-tight seal when the fluid flows upwardly against the valve.

A plurality of inner support members 12 are provided within vthe outer member 10, each of which is arcuate so that the members 12 together form a complete circle at the upper end thereof. The members 12 are thus seated within the outer member` 16 and each member 12 has a laterally-extending upper lip or shoulder 12a which rests upon the top of the annular flange 10d of the outer member 1t). The members 12 are preferably formed of metal or other similar substantially rigid ma# terial so as to reinforce the flexible or elastic valve member 10 against the collapse from iluid pressure acting from below the valve V. Also, the members 12 prevent wear or damage to the outer flexible member 1i) during thefopening and closing of the valve V as will be more evident hereafter. It will also be noted that each of the members 12 has its sides or edges 12b in contact with the adjacent sides or edges 12b of the other members 12 so that the inward movement of the members -12 is limited. Although any number of the inner reinforcing members 12 may'be employed, the valve V preferably has four of the members 12 and preferably four of the flaps ltlb with'lower portion of each of the members 12 extending downwardly below the upper end of the flaps 10b.

The valve V is positioned in the tubing string T between an upper tubular adapter 15 and a lower tubular adapter 16. The lower end of the adapter 16 is connected to the lower part of tubing string T through a suitable conventional coupling 18 (Figure l) or by any other suitable means, while the upper end of the adapter 16 is threaded to the upper adapter 15 by a threaded engagement of threads 15a and 16a on the adapters 15 and 16, respectively. A set screw 20 extends from the upper end of the lower adapter 16 into the lower portion of the upper adapter 15 so as to retain the threads 15a and 16a at a predetermined position relative to each other. The upper inner bore of the lower adapter 16 is of an increased diameter so as to provide the annular curved shoulderk 22 for receiving the laterally-extending ilanges 12a of the reinforcing members 12 of the valve V.- In such manner, the valve V is supported in the tubing string between the upper and lower adapters 15 and 16. The valve V is prevented from moving upwardly .by reason of the lower annular end of the upper adapter 15 which extends inwardly and directly above the flanges 12a. l The annular end 15b of the adapter 15 thus serves as a stopl (Figure l). When the valve V is closed, the lower end y ifi'atented Sept. 2,- 1958 J 25a of the actuator 2S is preferably substantially adjacent the flanges 12a, but at any rate, the actuator 25 is normally positioned so that it does not open the valve V.

The actuator 25 has an enlarged upper portion which is` formed with a connector slot 30 (Figures l3) which has an upper offset 30a, a vertical slot portion tlb and a lower offset 30C. One or more of such slots 30 may be formed in the external surface of the upper portion of the tubular actuator 2S, and for each slot 30, a pin 33 is mounted in the upper adapter so as to extend inwardly into such slot 3). When the valve V is in its normal operating position (Figure 3) so that it acts as a back checkvalve to prevent upward fluid flow through the tubing while permitting downward fluid flow through the valve and the tubing, the actuator is in a raised position with the pin or pins 33 being in the lower oifset portion or portions 36e of the slot or slots 3G. Upon turning the tubing T to move the pins 33 out of the lower offsets n e and following such turning with a lowering of the tubing T, the actuator 25 is lowered to cause its lower end 25a to pass into contact with the members 12 for urging same outwardly against the resiliency of the outer member 1G. The continued lowering of the actuator 25 effects an outward expansion or spreading of the valve V to fully open same so that substantially the same diameter opening is provided through the valve V as is available through the rest of the tubing string (Figure 2).

Thus, in the operation or use of the valve assembly A of this invention in the form shown in Figures 1 3, the valve V is normally in the position shown in Figure 3. When in such position, fluid from above the valve V can force the valve V open to permit downward fluid flow through the tubing, but upon a reverse or upward flow of uid in the tubing B, the flaps 10b of the valve V co-act with each other so that their edges 10c are in sealing contact to prevent fluid flow upwardly .through the tubing. The members 12 reinforce the outer flexible valve member 1) and the edges 12b abut each other to prevent the collapse of the member 10 when the upward fiuid pressure is acting on the exterior of the valve V. When the valve is in such normal operating position, the actuator 25 is in its upper position with the pin 33 extending into the lower offset 311C of the slot 30.

When it becomes desirable to lower well tools through the tubing string T, the valve V is fully opened so as to prevent obstruction to the passage of such well tools. The opening of the valve V to its full bore position is accomplished by turning the tubing string T so as to move the pin 33 out of the lower offset 39C and into the longitudinal portion 30h of the slot 30. As viewed from the top of Figure 3, such turning of the actuator 25 would be in a coun'terclockwise direction. Thereafter, lowering of the tubing string B causes the actuator 25 to be lowered and the lower end of 25a of the actuator 25 rides down wardly on the inner surfaces of the members 12 to spread same outwardly and to thereby also spread or expand outwardly the outer flexible member 10 of the valve. Such spreading or expansion of the valve V continues until the valve actuator 25 has passed below the lower portion of the members 12. The actuator 25 is again rotated to move the pin 33 into the upper offset 30a so as to hold the actuator 25 in its lower position wherebyl the valve V is maintained in its full open position. As viewed from the top of Figure 3, the tubing T and the actuator 25 are rotated in a clockwise direction to position the pin 33 within the offset 30a.

ln order to return the actuator 25 to its inactive position (Figure 3) from its active position (Figure 2), the tubing T is turned and raised so as to move the pin 33 from the upper offset 30a ythrough the vertical portion 3317 and into the lower offset 30o. lt should be pointed out that it may not be necessary to actually rotate the tubing T to effect the turning of the actuator 25 during the open- '4 ing and closing of the valve V since the curved walls of the slot 30 serve to guide the pin 33 into the offsets 30a and 30e as the tubing T is moved longitudinally.

In Figure 4, a modified form of the valve assembly A is illustrated, wherein the means for actuating the valve V has been modified as compared to Figures 1 3. In the form of the invention of Figure 4, the actuator sleeve carries an annular shoulder 50' which extends radially outwardly from the tubular actuator 125. A coil spring 52 is mounted between theY annular shoulder 50 on the actuator 125 and an inwardly-extending annular shoulder 55 on the upper adapter 16. Therefore, the spring 52 acts to urge the actuator 125 upwardly at all times and the upward movement of the actuator 125 with respect to the valve V is limited by one or more stop pins 58 extending inwardly from the adapter 16 so that the upper side of the annular flange 50 contacts such pin or pins 58. Therefore, it will be evident that the spring arrangement shown in Figure 4 is utilized in place of the pin 33 and slot 30 of Figures l-3. The 4other parts of the valve as` sembly of Figurev 4 are identical with the other parts of the valve assembly of Figures 1-3 and preferably the assembly of Figure 4would be mounted in a tubing string in the same manner as illustrated in Figure l.

In operation, the valve assembly of Figure 4 is normally as shown in Figure 4 so that the valve V opens and closes by uid How as described above in connectionV with Figure 3. When it is desired to open the valve V to its full open position, the tubing string is lowered against the action of the spring 52 so as toV move the actuator 125 relative to the valve V for spreading or expanding th'e segments 12 and the outer flexible member 10 in thesame manner as described above in connection with Figure 2.

It should be pointed out that both of the illustrated modiiic'ations of Figures 2 and 4 could be run upside down or reversed from the positions illustrated. ln such case, it will be evident that the actuators 25 (Figure 2) and 125 (Figure 4) will extend downwardly from the inverted valve V and will be anchored to the packer P. The outer members 15 and 16 will be moved longitudinally by the tubing extending to the surface of the well. Both valves will therefore be operated in the same manner as illustratcd, except that the valve V will be moved relative t the actuator rather than moving the actuator relative to the valve as previously described in connection with Figures 2-4.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the ,invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction, may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: v

1. A valve assembly for usein a tubular string, com prising, a valve normally closed and preventing fluid ow through the string in one direction, a tubular actuator for eiecting'a full opening of said valve, means con necting said valve to a first portion of said string including a resilient means urging said `actuator away from said valve, said resilient means being compressible upon a longitudinal movement of said actuator toward the valve to permit said actuator to move said valve to its full open position, means connecting said actuator to a second portion of said string, and means for connecting said actuator to said first portion of said string for limited longitudinal movement of the actuator relativo thereto and relative to said valve to effect the full opening of said valve.

2. The structure set forth in claim l, wherein said *valve includes, a flexible member having flaps adapted to be urged into sealing contact with each other when the iluid flow is in said one direction, and substantially jrigid members seated within said flexible member for reinforcing same to prevent collapse of the iiexible member when the uid ow is in said one direction.

3. A valve adapted to be mounted in a pipe string, comprising a hollow conical-shaped flexible member slitted at its lower end to provide ilaps adapted to be urged into sealing contact with each other by uid pressure acting thereagainst in one direction of ow, and substantially rigid cone-forming segmental members pivotally seated within said exible member and adapted to seat against each other to form a cone-shaped solid back-up member for the flexible member for reinforcing same to prevent collapse thereof when the flaps are in sealing contact with each other.

4. A valve assembly for use in a tubing, comprising, a valve normally adapted to prevent uid ow through the tubing in one direction, said valve including a hollow exible member seated within the tubing and slitted at one end to provide flaps adapted to be urged into sealing contact with each other when the uid flow is in said one direction, and substantially n'gid members pivotally seated within the tubing and within said flexible member in annular arrangement and swingngly movable into contact with each other for reinforcing the flexible member to prevent collapse of the same when the fluid ow is in said one direction, and tubular means connected to and operable by manipulation of said tubing for eiecting a full opening of said valve whereby well tools may be passed through the tubing without obstruction by the valve.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,042,790 Lee June 2, 1936 2,046,798 Thrift July 7, 1936 2,354,310 Goodwin July 25, 1944 2,416,842 OLeary Mar. 4, 1947 2,537,585 Hilkemeier Jan. 9, 1951 2,572,299 Antolch Oct. 23, 1951 2,647,728 Smith Aug. 4, 1953 2,698,663 Brown Jan. 4, 1955 2,724,442 Mundt Nov. 22, 1955 

